Hardman Ireland - 29/08/20

Something of a rarity in 2020 a race report! Saturday 29th August I raced the socially distanced, self supporting COVID approved version of The Hardman Ireland 🇮🇪. Sanctioned by Triathlon Ireland this iron distance race had a field limited to 200 and due to a spike in the infection rate in a Ireland during the week the race was designated as a ‘closed’ event which meant that there could be no spectators, although on the day this restriction was more honoured in its breach than compliance.

The 2020 Hardman was the tenth edition of the race and is run by a small independent operator well regarded for the events he puts on in County Kerry. At €190 it is good value but don’t expect an Ironman branded race experience, no thrills but you do get a high quality hoodie (instead of a commemorative technical tee) and for the 10th year a ‘high quality’ transition bag (currently stuck in a container in Rotterdam, but to be mailed out to competitors is the assurance).

Given it is a small event, the obstacles that had to be overcome to put the race on were considerable. The recent storms Ellen and Francis meant that much of the run course on a 14k loop within the Killarney National Park was flooded and athletes were notified of the change to a 4K loop by email on the Thursday of race week. The reintroduction of tighter COVID restrictions meant that the venue for pre race registration could not be used and the instruction was to pick up your race pack from the Race Directors house. Minor hassles but in the greater scheme of things, no inconvenience to have the opportunity to actually race.

One thing that wasn’t going to change was the bike course, the world  renowned Ring of Kerry, stunning in its beauty and daunting for the cyclist and well worth the drive round beforehand to recce. Technical in parts, the ride has a bit of everything mountain passes, exposed shoreline climbs and descents with views of the Atlantic and long leg sapping drags. Although the elevation is approximately 1700m in 174k it is constantly undulating and it is a good test of your bike skills and stamina.

Race day was greeted with fine weather, a relief as the days before had seen prolonged showers and the predicted forecasts of sunny conditions seemed highly doubtful. The Hardman is a split Transition race and T1 was on the shoreline of Lake Leane at the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club. A new and very welcome change post COVID for triathlon races is the 2 meters separation between bikes for racking. I racked my bike the night before and on race day as instructed I brought all my kit in a large plastic container with my race number as it would be transported to T2 and placed next to my designated racking spot.

The Swim

All athletes were seeded based on their estimated swim times and entered the water in pairs at 4 second intervals. Bryan McCrystal Ireland’s top pro triathlete (2nd to Ali Brownlee at Ironman Cork) led the very orderly procession and there was none of the usual sharp elbows and bumping. The swim was a 2 lap triangular configuration and in truth very difficult to navigate in the low early morning sun, the buoys were small and far apart and the field was so spread it was difficult to gauge who was swimming in the right direction. Evidently I wasn’t as I managed to swim 4227m. One major malfunction as I changed into my bike gear was realising that the timing chip wasn’t around my ankle and after the initial blind panic and scrabbling round in the grass, on a hunch I checked my wetsuit and found it caught up in the leg. Panic over, I sorted myself out and headed out of transition in a very leisurely manner

The Bike

Epic! The Ring of Kerry in reverse, the race director’s logic is that tourists drive round anti-clockwise and the route will get overly busy with traffic throughout the day so the race goes the other way round and has less traffic. Local knowledge is a valuable commodity and meant that the initial ride out of Killarney on the narrow twisty technical ascent towards Kenmare was not busy with traffic and drivers were very patient and accommodating and passed the labouring athletes only when it was safe to do so. Turning towards Sneem the route starts to incorporate the Wild Atlantic Way, aptly named as the wind starts to make deepset wheels very twitchy as you are hit by gusting winds on fast narrow descents. Although working hard and focussed on your race you can still take in the scenery and marvel at the awe inspiring majesty of the mountains and the vastness of the Atlantic. The midway point is Waterville, aptly named as a Hardman logo’d bottle of water was on hand and public toilets available. The turn home is less scenic and initially you are riding head on into the wind up slight but interminable drags which sap your legs. Eventually you have the wind at your back and you’re flying towards Cahirsievin and Killorglin and once you navigate these towns you’re on your way back to Killarney. The instruction to locate T2 look for ‘The Stag’ and there it is, a large wooden sculpture and a very welcome sight. Into transition the marshals direct you to the numbered racking space where your kit box is waiting for you. Change into your run gear, quick loo break and out off onto the run.

The Run

Ten laps of just over 4K along public paths of the Fossa Way and through the grounds of Castlerosse Golf Resort. The dominating feature of the course, a long gravel hill at about the halfway point, with each succeeding lap you knew the hill would grow more daunting, longer, higher and will sapping. Although you could leave a special needs bag at the table provided at the start of the run lap, I opted to wear a Salomon SLab hydration vest with two 500 ml bottles  with all my gels in the pockets of the vest. I liked the short laps as you had the sense of continual progress as you ticked another one off and the large crowd of supporters cheered on the runners and you were named checked over the PA system. After lap 5, quick comfort break and then on to the business end of the race. For 6 laps I ran the hill but by the 7th I was resolved to walking up the hill briskly and get some welcome recovery rather than labour up the hill running and compromise my race. Although it was hard going, the run was going to plan, I was keeping pace and although I was walking up the hills the descents towards transition let you get up a head of steam and claw back some time. The final lap was a bit eventful as during the course of the afternoon the paths are getting more congested as more runners are on their laps the public are out walking and cycling and it was on a blind corner I had a coming together with a mountain biker. My fault as I should have been on the other side of the path but he should not have been bombing along given the busyness of the path, luckily he was quick on his brakes and I instinctively put my arms up to push him back as he pitched up and all I got for my troubles was a shoulder blade to the throat. I barely felt a thing, neatly sidestepped the irate cyclist and ran on with his curses ringing in my ears. Once more up the hill and then the blessed relief of falling downhill towards the finish and being called across the line as a Hardman.

A memorable day, a time of 11:27:01, 39th of 121 finishers (159 starters) and 1st in my Age Group.